Challenge at the Forefront

[walnutjerry]

Just had a client to drop off some wood which was sawn from a tree on his wife's family homeplace.

They want 5 jewelery boxes made from the lumber. It was bandsawed at 3/8" thick. Not a lot of "meat" to start processing. Hopefully I get the pictures posted here.

Does anyone care to guess the specie? And-----------does anyone have a wood stretcher?

 

[JimmyC]

All I can say jerry is Good Luck because it looks like you're going to need it.:eusa_pray



Best Wishes,
Jimmy

 

[JackLeg]

Well Jerry, maybe you can build some nice boxes and "veneer" them with that stuff! Good luck!

 

[cpowell]

Some of those sticks look purty enough to use a veneer stretcher!

3/8 seems thin for rough cut stock. That should be a good challenge. :lol: :lol:


Chuck

 

[walnutjerry]

Well, nobody said they have to be LARGE jewelry boxes. :lol:

Is it oak?

Oak is NOT correct------------------any other guesses before posting the specie?

Jerry

 

[Makinsawdust]

Jerry,
This post makes me feel better. I was beginning to think that I was a magnet for the next to impossible commission. Now that I see it is making the rounds to other shops it makes me feel not so special. Better get the drum sander warmed up. It's veneer making time!
Osage orange is my quess unless there's something funky going on with the color balance of the pic.
Rob

 

[walnutjerry]

Jerry,
This post makes me feel better. I was beginning to think that I was a magnet for the next to impossible commission. Now that I see it is making the rounds to other shops it makes me feel not so special. Better get the drum sander warmed up. It's veneer making time!
Osage orange is my quess unless there's something funky going on with the color balance of the pic.
Rob

Rob--You definitely are not the Lone Ranger with the challenging requests.:rolf: There is no plan provided for what they want so it will be design as I go to be able to use the material. It is thin material and crooked:BangHead:. I wonder why I take on such projects---------maybe I just enjoy a challenge:eusa_thin.

I assure you the drum sander will get extensive use on this material.

The color is off on the pics---------the 1st pic is more realistic to the actual color. You're wrong on the guess---------it is dogwood of all things. One of the hardest you will find in the USA I think.

Maybe I can get Dave O and his elves down here to the shop:icon_thum.

Jerry

 

[nelsone]

Looks like an interesting challenge! I'd go with the veneer idea! Looks like that will be the best way to use what you got. Any significance to the dogwood other than coming from their property? If they are thinking of the religious significance, maybe you could incorporate an inlay of a cross or something???

 

[michaelgarner]

Sweet! I bet they turn out wonderful! Use some poplar or softmaple and dogwood with vaneer. With that amount you can pick the best "Show" pieces. Keep us informed on the progress.

 

[Robert Arrowood]

Jerry you do have your work cutout. As bowed as that stuff looks you could just about make round box's.8-O

 

[gazzer]

I have a bunch of dogwood that I have harvested from dying trees on my lot and I can say that a bunch of dogwood will never be enough to make anything but small things. I've used it for mallets, chisel handles, boat cleats and things like that. It is usually straight grained and stable and so with luck you should be able to get flat 1/4" board from what you have - in short lengths that is. The stuff is very close grained and hard and is not prone to splitting. It finishes beautifully too. Also, the scraps make great wedges for splitting other wood.

Post some picks of the finished boxes

 

[walnutjerry]

Jerry you do have your work cutout. As bowed as that stuff looks you could just about make round box's.8-O

:rolf:----------you are right on target Robert!

The guy first brought 5 or 6 boards for me to look at to see if there was a chance. He told me the boards on down in the stack were in better shape. Turns out that I saw the cream of the crop on the first few boards.

At this point my thoughts are to joint one side to get it flat, laminate it to 3/8 plywood or poplar then dress out the lamination thick as possible. Hopefull to have a total thickness not over 1/2" .

The crooks combined with cup just about eliminates resawing. I can resaw material 1/16 or a little less with careful set-up of the band saw and have a thickness pretty uniform from top to bottom. But you have to have that flat side to work from.

There will be a lot of deliberation before processing the material. The condition of the material will definitely have an influence on the design. The hardness of dogwood certainly influences what I use to work it.

I have until Christmas to get them done---------maybe a little:eusa_pray will help.

Jerry

 

[walnutjerry]

I have a bunch of dogwood that I have harvested from dying trees on my lot and I can say that a bunch of dogwood will never be enough to make anything but small things. I've used it for mallets, chisel handles, boat cleats and things like that. It is usually straight grained and stable and so with luck you should be able to get flat 1/4" board from what you have - in short lengths that is. The stuff is very close grained and hard and is not prone to splitting. It finishes beautifully too. Also, the scraps make great wedges for splitting other wood.

Post some picks of the finished boxes

I made a picture frame from dogwood years ago----------swore I would never make anything else from dogwood. Burned up every saw blade I put in it, smoked up the shop:rolf:. so never say "NEVER AGAIN" That was before carbide blades were more common to the home workshop.

The longest length will probably be 16"-------------so maybe I will squeak it out. Time will tell and proof will be in the pics:lol:. Will it be success or failure?

Jerry

 

[christopheralan]

"...gentlemen, please place your bets now..."

Good luck!!
:icon_thum

 

[jeff...]

That looks a lot like dogwood to me @ 3/8 thick I think someone should have been taken out back and beaten - you'll be lucky to get dressed 1/8" out of that once it dries. It's prone to curl up like a bag of potatoes chips, if you don't weight it down with several 100's of lbs while it dries.


Thanks

 

[walnutjerry]

That looks a lot like dogwood to me @ 3/8 thick I think someone should have been taken out back and beaten - you'll be lucky to get dressed 1/8" out of that once it dries. It's prone to curl up like a bag of potatoes chips, if you don't weight it down with several 100's of lbs while it dries.


Thanks

Therein lies part of the problem--------it was stacked and stickered but was not put on a good level base. Therefore the swags in the base transfered to bows in the dogwood----------and it dried that way.:roll:

Jerry

 

[Robert Arrowood]

Jerry if only you didn't have such a short time. You steam it and flaten it then redry it.:eusa_thin

 

[walnutjerry]

Jerry if only you didn't have such a short time. You steam it and flaten it then redry it.:eusa_thin

I thought about that Robert but you are right, the time frame will not allow it.

The client is aware that I may have to incorporate some other woods to be able to get 5 boxes out of it. Dogwood may not be more than accent on some. Time frame may be close anyway to get it all figured out.

He also knows I have an order in front of his.

Jerry

 

[FredP]

how about flattening one side and glue them together to make thicker then mill to size? flat to flat like a sammich!:-D its time consuming but not so much as steaming would be.

fred

 

[walnutjerry]

how about flattening one side and glue them together to make thicker then mill to size? flat to flat like a sammich!:-D its time consuming but not so much as steaming would be.

fred

That would work Fred----------only draw back is it would reduce the "face" footage by 50%. That is the reason I was considering laminating to poplar or plywood. They want 5 boxes from that material.

Jerry